I just received a phone call from a friend of mine. She was run off the road on a training ride, crashed, chain ring went into her calf, received 15 stitches and was told to keep them dry. Does anyone know if swimming will harm her recovery or cause infection? Is there a way to safely wrap the wound to prevent any problems? Many thanks in advance for your advice.
Would it kill her to take a few days off? There really is no reason to risk it. My guess is that she isn’t a pro and doesn’t have to do this to put food on the table.
I currently have 3 stitches in the nailbed of my pinkie finger and one more large suture holding the nail down in place. (Bike wreck)
The Dr told me to lay off the swimming for 2 weeks. Although, I may have some nerve damage as I can’t completely extend my pinkie and have lost feeling in the tip. We’ll see when I get back in the water.
If she absolutely has to get in the pool they do make water proof bandages. Unfortunately I do not remember the manufacturers name. Suggest she ask her doc.
The best product on the market is the 3m Nexcare waterproof bandaid.
it makes a seal around the wound and keeps the area completely dry. I have used them multiple times and have never had any problems.
I would recommend staying out of the water. I have been put back together by doctors on several occasions however one of the most notable was an encounter with some broken glass on the road that left me with 9 stitches down the back of the shoulder. I was silly enough to go swimming and ended up with an infection that kept me in hospital for a week. Trust me… you don’t want that…
Fast Gopher made a really good point about the second skin. It is awesome on scrapes and cuts as it allows the wound to completely heal under the covering and you don’t have to worry about water or dirt getting in. The bad side is the fact that you have to really scrub the wound clean before you apply to make sure you don’t trap anything nasty under the layer.
The short version is that you should take a few days off to make sure you don’t prevent adequate healing of the wound. However if you do really HAVE to get back in the water, check with your local doctor and I’m sure they can recommend a good sealer to prevent water getting into the cut.
Hope your friend is feeling better soon.
Have her ask a Doc for some Durmabond. It is a glue that she can put over her stitches. I cut my forehead open badly last summer and after my plastic surgeon buddy stitched me up and put durmbond on top he told me to go ahead and swim the next morning.
I swam from age seven thru college, and whenever someone had stitches they had to take at least a week off. IMO don’t risk it.
I had stitches after my crash with a guard rail a few weeks back and all the amazing bandages out there that seal out water and dirt all said not to use with stitches. I have always been told not to submerge stitches, also. Week off probably won’t kill her. (this is coming from someone who is on a crash related 2 month hiatus…)
Wet skin is not as strong as dry…one of the risks is tearing them out…not worth it.
What she needs to get are Tagaderm patches. They are waterproof and flexible to an extent. My wife used them to cover her belly ring while swimming right after she got it.
Didn’t you read the thread about pissing in the pool???
I won’t swim with a freakin hangnail anymore.